LOWELL -- They are two Carolina kids -- one North, one South -- hard-throwing right-handers drafted out of high school by the Red Sox last June.

Ty Buttrey and Jamie Callahan each was prepared to attend a big-time college baseball program, before the Red Sox called and made each a satisfying offer. Thirteen months later, Buttrey and Callahan do find themselves living in a college dorm -- at UMass Lowell -- but are in the Lowell Spinners' starting rotation.

On June 12, Buttrey tweeted: "First taste of college living up here in Lowell. Just no school work."

With a signed commitment to the University of Arkansas providing him bargaining clout -- and with his mid-90s fastball and a knuckle curve -- Buttrey last June received a $1.

Jamie Callahan was another who decided to forego college and join the Red Sox organization for big bucks.
SUN/JULIA MALAKIE

3 million signing bonus from the Red Sox as a fourth-round pick out of Providence High in Charlotte, N.C.

Other teams did not want to risk forfeiting chunks of their MLB limit for bonuses by drafting Buttrey higher and having him turn down their offers and choose college.

"Not sounding cocky, I had plans to go in that first day (first or second round)," says Buttrey, 20. "That's what people were telling me. Teams called. Because of the new slot system, they didn't necessarily want to risk me not going and losing the bonus."

The third round passed. Buttrey was certain he would be going to college. Soooie!

Then he received a phone call from his advisor, saying the Red Sox wanted to draft Buttrey in the fourth round and offer him $1.

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3 million.

"I said, 'Yeah, definitely,'" recalls Buttrey.

For Jamie Callahan, a kid from Hamer, S.C., the lure of the beloved Gamecocks was considerable. He was committed to the University of South Carolina until the Red Sox called the Dillon (S.C.) High pitcher in the second round last June. Callahan was only 17 at the time. He signed for $600,000.

"I just felt like the time was right," says Callahan. "If I got what I wanted in the draft, it was my time to go. So all respect to the Gamecocks, I love them to death. (The Red Sox) just took me where I wanted to go, so I was ready to go."

These two prized recruits may not have chosen college. But they have certainly been getting an education.

National story

After he was drafted by the Red Sox, Buttrey learned what it's like to be a national story in the Digital Age. It seemed he would not be allowed to walk in his high school's graduation because he had skipped a rehearsal to monitor the first round of the MLB Draft. (The school did not allow cell phones at the rehearsal, and Buttrey needed his in case a team called.) Buttrey's predicament went viral. The school eased its policy amid the outcry.

"It came down to a big miscommunication," says Buttrey. "It was weird, though. I was so happy about getting drafted (by the Red Sox), then I had to deal with this national news."

After all that, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Buttrey pitched only five innings last year in the Gulf Coast League (5ip, 2r, 1er, 1bb, 5k). The Red Sox are careful with their prize pitching prospects.

In three starts so far with the Spinners this summer, Buttrey is 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA (14.1ip, 12h, 6r, 6er, 6bb, 3k). After a rough first outing, he has allowed only two earned runs over his last 11.2 innings, though has struck out only three batters all season.

Buttrey learned his "knuckle curve" four years ago from a summer-league teammate, Brody Koerner, who now pitches at Clemson. "I just didn't get the break with the traditional curve, and it kind of bothered my elbow," says Buttrey. "(Koerner) said, 'Try this out.' I literally went over to the bullpen and threw (two knuckle curves) with 12-to-6 break."

Spinners pitching coach Walter Miranda refers to Buttrey's breaking ball as a "spike curve" because it involves only one finger in a knuckleball-like position, not two. "It's a pitch he brought from high school. At times it's pretty good," says Miranda. "But that's why he's here. To work on it."

'Mature for his age'

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Callahan is still a kid -- even for the N.Y.-Penn League. He will turn 19 on Aug. 24. "Very mature for his age," says Miranda. "When I talk to him about pitching, I feel like I'm talking to a grown man."

After choosing the pros over college, Callahan last summer pitched 8.2 innings in the Gulf Coast League (8h, 5r, 5er, 3bb, 7k). In his Spinners debut on June 21, he threw five shutout innings against Tri-City (1 h, 2bb, 3k). But against that same club on June 27, Callahan allowed five runs on six hits and three walks in two innings.

"You know sooner or later you're going to take a little setback. You're going to have to take some lumps," says Callahan. "I was expecting it. I wasn't expecting it that quick."

Callahan in his most recent start went 4.2 innings last Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits, walking one and striking out three, in the Spinners' 10-3 win over the Connecticut Tigers. Overall, Callahan is 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA (11.2 ip, 12h, 8r, 8er, 2HR, 6bb, 6k).

"Even though I haven't thrown a lot of innings, I've learned a lot in the year I've spent in the organization," says Callahan. "I've learned a lot since being drafted. It's a lot of work you put in besides the outings out there (in games)."

Miranda says Buttrey and Callahan both have high-end talent that projects to the major leagues.

Buttrey was actually born in Dayton, Ohio (same as Roger Clemens). His family moved to Charlotte when he was 3. His dad, Dan, who pitched one year in the Phillies organization, built a baseball field in a horse pasture in Matthews, N.C. - a la Field of Dreams - when Ty was 14.

Buttrey says he owes much to his father, and to his high school baseball coach, Danny Hignight, for getting him to this point. The Providence High program last year also produced third baseman Richie Shaffer, taken by the Rays in the first round out of Clemson. The previous year, Providence catcher Brett Austin, was a first-round sandwich pick of the Padres, but opted to go to North Carolina State. When Buttrey was drafted by Boston, he called Providence alum David Mailman, a 2007 seventh-round pick of the Red Sox.

Buttrey used some of his $1.3 million bonus money to buy a Chevy Tahoe. The rest he turned over to his father to save and invest. He has Fenway Park as a backdrop on his Twitter page.

"The main goal is to play in MLB," says Buttrey. "Money maybe won't be an issue then (smile)."

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